Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for 1923 season 2, episode 1.The Yellowstone spinoff 1923 made a reference to one of the characters Taylor Sheridan played in 1883 and one of his upcoming projects. 

Taylor Sheridan has played four characters in his own shows and movies, but they’re usually relegated to small parts in the background. Aside from Travis Wheatley, who had a major role in Yellowstone season 5, part 2, Sheridan’s characters have appeared in a combined total of five episodes of his shows and one minute of Hell or High Water.

One of those characters, however, was just referenced in the premiere of 1923 season 2, along with one of Sheridan’s upcoming projects.

Taylor Sheridan has a huge assortment of upcoming projects. From new Yellowstone shows like the Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler spinoff to new seasons of existing series like Mayor of Kingstown season 4, the writer will be quite busy for some time.

Even with all of his Yellowstone-related shows on the way, however, Sheridan chose to reference a completely different project in 1923. That project is the only one that could be a movie, the only one based on historical fact instead of fiction, and one of the few that didn’t seem to be connected to Yellowstone at all.

1923 Season 2 Name-Dropped Taylor Sheridan’s 1883 Character & Upcoming Movie

Sheridan Played Charles Goodnight In 1883 & Is Adapting A Movie About Quanah Parker

In the premiere of 1923 season 2, Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves) and Pete Plenty Clouds (Jeremy Gauna) were interrupted by a roaming cowboy. The cowboy mentioned that Mr. Goodnight owned the land they were on, and that name has a deeper connection to Sheridan and his writing.

Taylor Sheridan played Charles Goodnight in 1883, who is the same historical figure who owned the ranch Teonna and Pete wandered onto in 1923. Goodnight was a legendary frontiersman who pioneered several trails and invented the chuckwagon, and he also founded and ran the JA Ranch in the Palo Duro Canyon in Texas, which is presumably the one featured in 1923.

Charles Goodnight wasn’t the only historical figure the cowboy mentioned in 1883, however. He also said that Goodnight was friends with Quanah Parker, who is the main character of one of Sheridan’s upcoming projects.

Sheridan is set to adapt Empire of the Summer Moon, a historical book about Chief Quanah Parker and his time leading the Comanche nation from 1890 to 1911. There’s no chance Sheridan accidentally mentioned the protagonist of his upcoming project by name. While it could have been a simple reference to a piece of history Sheridan is interested in, there could also be more to the cowboy’s words.

Could Taylor Sheridan Make A Cameo In 1923 Season 2?

Goodnight May Not Appear, & He May Be Too Old In 1923 For Sheridan To Play Him

The fact that 1923 has already directly referenced a character Taylor Sheridan played could be a sign that he’ll have an acting credit in the show. The cowboy didn’t seem particularly mad that Teonna and Pete were on Charles Goodnight’s land, and depending upon how long they stay, they may even meet the ranch’s owner themselves.

If Goodnight does appear in 1923, there’s a non-zero chance Sheridan will play the character again. He hasn’t appeared as any other character in 1923 so far, so he may have planned to join the show’s cast in season 2.

There are also a few reasons why Taylor Sheridan may not play Charles Goodnight again in 1923 season 2, however. Goodnight was born in 1836, meaning he would be an 87-year-old man in 1923. Sheridan is far too young to play an octogenarian, and while his appearance could be altered with makeup or CGI, 1923 could just as easily cast a different actor to play Goodnight.

Of course, there’s also the more-than-likely chance that Goodnight won’t be in 1923 at all, and that no one will play him. If that proves to be the case, it still won’t be Sheridan’s last chance to play Charles Goodnight.

Will Taylor Sheridan’s Empire Of The Summer Moon Be A Yellowstone Spinoff?

Empire Of The Summer Moon Seemed Like A Standalone Story, But 1923 May Hint That It Will Connect To Yellowstone

1923‘s mention of Quanah Parker could also have some major implications for Taylor Sheridan’s adaptation of Empire of the Summer Moon.

When the adaptation was first announced, it seemed that Sheridan was making a completely separate and more fact-based movie that didn’t connect to Yellowstone.

 The sheer scope of Quanah Parker’s life and his time as a Comanche Chief made it seem like Empire of the Summer Moon would be more like Lawmen: Bass Reeves than 1923.

Now that Quanah Parker has been directly referenced in a Yellowstone spinoff, however, it’s entirely possible that Sheridan could connect Parker’s real story to the fictional Duttons.

Thanks to Charles Goodnight in 1883, it’s clear that Sheridan doesn’t mind blurring the line between his own fictional characters and real historical figures. There’s even a chance that Sheridan could play Goodnight again in Empire of the Summer Moon.

Goodnight and Quanah Parker were good friends who often exchanged letters, and the timeline of the story means Goodnight would be about the right age for Sheridan to portray him.

That in itself would be a connection to Yellowstone, but Parker could even encounter anyone from James Dutton (Tim McGraw) to Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford), and 1923 season 2 made it possible.